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By Faye Prosser

Here's the place to post your totals and best deals from the Harris Teeter triples event this week! Have fun everyone!

Click the link in the box above to see the Triples Good Deals List.

I shopped in Cary this morning after the kids got off to school. You can see the photo of the items I bought and the receipt above.

Here are my totals:

Subtotal before sales and coupons: $89.18

Amount saved: $77.19

Amount paid: $11.99

Savings: 87%

Cost per item: 38 cents each!

The big difference with this shop (vs. some of the others I have posted), is that I intentionally focused on healthier options that our family uses. I bought organic tofu, Green Giant veggies, whole wheat pasta, Barilla pasta sauce, Kashi entrees, veggie burgers, soy milk, Snackwell's and Fiber One bars, yogurt and a few other things I had free product coupons for. I could have produced a receipt for under $1 if I had focused on getting only freebies, but this time around I wanted to show the doubters that you can score some fabulous deals on healthy foods using coupons. Couponing is not just about junk, as evidenced by my shop today. I saved 87% on high quality food that I can make actual meals with. That's why I love couponing!

I see that a number of you have posted that you are also focusing on buying products your family actually uses, not just the freebies. I think that's a great way to coupon, so you don't end up with a pantry full of cheap food you don't really like or use, just because it was free. Don't get me wrong, I still buy the freebies our family uses but I am much more selective these days and don't buy freebies just for the sake of getting free stuff. The handling and processing of all that free stuff we wouldn't use takes up space and my time and energy. In addition, I know there are other couponers who really do use some of those freebies we don't use so I feel like I should leave them on the shelf for those folks. I usually shop for donation items when it is not a promotion like this where everyone is trying to get the best deals. I usually stock up on items to donate when there is plenty of stock and I know I won't be taking a deal from someone else who has worked hard to get themselves to the store with their coupons to get that deal.

Thanks to all of you for posting your great deals and I am so excited to see how much you are all saving!!

candikane02Sep 20, 2011

I don't know if someone already pointed this out (as there is over 180 comments on here! lol). But did anyone else's green giant coupon not triple? It was an IP for .80/4 and mine showed the multiplied coupon amount as .45. Faye - I see it did it to your purchase that you posted. Wondering if its worth the drive back to Harris Teeter... It is only 1.15 which is how much gas will cost me to get back over there! grrr I hate it when that happens.

boycesSep 20, 2011

There are a lot of people out there who set the bar fairly high with coupon savings now. However, I saw in this months "All You" magazine that on average, people save 10% using coupons and store loyalty cards. I'm consistently saving 30%+ so I guess I'm not doing too badly. I'd like to become more consistent at saving 50% but I think the key for me is developing a buy list and that isn't easy because it takes time... I realized today that one thing I purchased probably wasn't a great deal as they'll probably have that item BOGO in the near future. Oh well, still learning.

rayne0524Sep 17, 2011

@Nancy, I agree with you completely. If anyone thinks they aren't saving that much, they need to watch someone with no coupons get rang up.

I feel like even 50% is a wonderful amount of savings. I try to tell people that all the time. Some savings is better than NO savings.

rayne0524Sep 17, 2011

Made my first trip of the week to HT today,saved lots of money.

Total $142.00Paid $38.77

Dstned2BMeSep 16, 2011

I agree Nancy! Anytime I SAVE more than I spend I'm excited!! I buy a lot of the healthy sale items and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. While these are not free, the things I buy are a very good deal. I may pay more for the kind of ceral I buy or brown rice instead of white, but I still get very good deals that I am thrilled with!! And that's where the rush comes from! I think you should all be proud of what I read you are doing! You are feeding your family well, saving more than you spend and keeping more of your money than you did before you took couponing to this level!! This "hobby" takes time. It is work. But look at that receipt...woot woot!!

NancySep 16, 2011

I keep reading about "I didn't do as good as others ..." type comments but that's not true!!!!

The savings I'm reading over and over again are H*U*G*E!!! It doesn't matter that it's a certain percentage, what matters is you get what you wanted at a great price and saved a LOT of money doing it :)

You guys need to stand beside a checkout and watch a "regular" customer go through the line and not use any coupons to appreciate who well you are really doing!!!

Mercy! Start tracking how much money you save, literally, write it down or spread sheet-it or something - you will continue to blow yourself away at the cumulative total of money you did not spend to get your pantry, freezer, cupboards full!

ScubagirlSep 16, 2011

and I will be going back tomorrow to take advantage of some really good Sat. only vic specials. 18 eggs/1.77, lipton green tea 3.99, HT fresh foods pizza 3.77. Limit 2 on all

ScubagirlSep 16, 2011

Saved 50%+ last nite at HT including my senior discount. Not as good as yours but good

smallone0320Sep 16, 2011

Well, not my best run... but considering this is my first run this week since I've been home with the dog.... not too bad. Total saved on Q's was 40.94 so my total OOP was 22.24, there were some rainchecks, and 5.66 of that total was veggies we needed for dinner. So- over all I saved about 65%. I'm excited about SD's! Off I go to rearrange my pantry AGAIN!tara